The RTC sector is closely watching developments in the Dublin Institute of Technology. The DIT was given its own degree awarding status to take effect in the 1998/9 academic year and is currently under review for university status.
Some sources within the DIT view the bid for university status as retrogressive. They say that all the emphasis and development within the DIT is now on undergraduate and postgraduate activities to the detriment of apprenticeship, certificate and diploma programmes. "Employers need people with a range of qualifications," says a DIT staff member. "They don't need everybody at degree level."
The sources argue that the DIT is in danger of becoming a traditional academic university and forgetting its original role of identifying and supplying courses for emerging professions.
Dr Brendan Goldsmith, director of the DIT, vigorously denies these allegations. "All the evidence would suggest that we are not going down that road," he says. "We are developing postgraduate programmes in non-standard areas - our postgraduate diploma in rural tourism is a good example of this and we are considering a postgraduate programme in hospitality management. Even in science our programmes are more applied and industry-related than they are in the universities."
According to Goldsmith, the DIT is seeking university status for a number of reasons, none of which includes a bid to take on a more academic role. In order to progress, the DIT needs the autonomy that universities enjoy. "We are governed by the DIT Act," he explains. "Everything we want to do is subject to ministerial control. We can't purchase land or even appoint staff without ministerial permission."
While the RTCs appear pleased with the designation Institute of Technology, the DIT finds the title limiting, says Goldsmith. "Abroad, the term Institute of Technology is not understood. There is no legal protection in the designation. Anyone can set up an institute and award diplomas - but you can't set up a university without legislation."
Students too, he says, argue that there's a question of status - they feel that their qualifications are sometimes viewed less favourably than those of university graduates. "It's our ambition to become a university, but not a traditional university. Our governing body has made it clear that we want to see the DIT develop as a unique, multi-level university offering a range of programmes from apprencticeship to post-doctoral levels. We see the DIT as different but of equal status. "We see the DIT emerging as a new type of university that doesn't exist anywhere else in Ireland or indeed in Western Europe. There are universities successfully running degree and diploma programmes, but we will have the added dimension of offering apprenticeship programmes and developing ladders from them into technician programmes."
